I found this on a friend's blog...& as she said, "This lady speaks the truth."

Passing the Time Until We Move Into Our New Place

Hi! I'm hanging out at our transitional housing unit (aka the Wiegel's apartment) alone while Shaun is at work in Mt. Vernon (30 minutes south of Bellingham). Passing time is alright as I use our computer we brought along. But yesterday, I went out and got Indian food and painted a fruit/serving bowl at a pottery painting place in Fairhaven (the old tourist-y part of Bellingham with overpriced sandwiches and salads). I did this with my friend Emily Pool. She wanted to spend time with me because I had a birthday recently that she wasn't able to be part of. Whenever I'm with Emily, I find myself talking much more than with anyone else. (Other than my husband...but it's spread out more.) It was a blast catching up on the latest news.

By the way, I've recently noticed that Weight Watcher's Popsicles look like tampons! (It's the wrapper!!) It makes me feel funny...and then I laugh! Weird though. Weight Watchers should rethink this aspect of the Popsicle or else they'll be kicked out of the market. But...if a young girl was just starting her period, it'd be kind of a funny gag gift...just put them in a real tampon box. What do you think? Does it make you want to change the subject. Well, fine.

Our pad, at least for now while we're in it, is overflowing with stuff. The living room has become the hunter's safety classroom. And the office has become a closet for our clothes which are spread out in an semi-arranged order. (At least I know the order.)

Anyway, we'll keep you updated as to when we move. I'm all ready to rip open boxes of things and put them in their correct places and new home. Aaaaahhhh....I can't wait!

Stage One of Our Move is Complete

Friday evening we moved out of Apartment 17--with the help of some of the elders quorum--our stuff to a garage of an empty house on the property of where we will be moving into sometime in August. Today, we are living in the apartment of a friend our ours who are out of town for the summer on an internship. They where generous enough to let up take over until we get the okay from our new semi-landlords to move in.

For those of you who had our land line phone number that started with (360)...we have cancelled that service and we only be using our cell phones.

Saturday we spent cleaning our apartment. Because of the flood damage back from November 2006--there's more mold to deal with around windows and baseboards. (Gross--I know.)

We finished and went over to a new good friends' (Wendy, Chris, Christina, & Keith De'eres) house for dinner with their family. It was a BLAST!!! We not only had a tasty dinner with grilled vegetables from their garden--we also had an entertaining evening talking at the table...long after the meal was finished getting to know them better. My face hurt from smiling and laughing so much. It was a nice way to end the day.

Then on Sunday we went to church and enjoyed some great lessons and speakers (Ward Conference). Later on, we went to another friend's house (Mike and Pam Dickey) for a BBQ. We got to make our own pork kabobs, complete with fresh garden picked vegetables like zucchini. After our meal we walked down to the beach, then back again for an ice cream feast. WOW.

Then we stopped by our apartment to pick up the last few things inside, and swung by our other friend's house (Shannon, Abe, and Auroa Dickerson) who are moving to B.C., Canada. Shannon was one of my teacher's at the LDS MTC in Provo, UT, who happened to be in my ward in Bellingham when I got off my mission. We'll miss them very much!!

Then today, I went to work. Right now...Shaun's at work in Mt. Vernon. It's odd being in someone else's apartment alone. I feel welcome but lonely at the same time. I will do my best to stay busy. I'm going out with a friend (Emily Pool) tomorrow to celebrate our summer birthdays tomorrow. I look forward to that.

That's all for now!

25 Years Old--Surprise!

For my 25th birthday, Shaun surprised me with a trip to Seattle to Jazz Alley--dinner and a jazz show. We heard Gerald Albright to some wonderful Contemporary Jazz. (Click on the video to hear a little clip of a song.) Please note that the picture of us outside the club after the show at 9pm.

We then stayed overnight at the Westin hotel in Bellevue, WA. It's a beautiful hotel. We had a big room on the 14th floor (see view to right). Sadly, we were awoken 3 times in the night due to our screaming neighbors at 11:00pm, and 1am,...and then by the hotel cleaning staff at 9:15am. So, luckily, the manager of the hotel comp-ed our room and we didn't have to pay for the night's stay. It was an unexpected relief and extra birthday gift.

Then Shaun and I got some great Indian in Bellevue for lunch. And...somehow Shaun occupied my time (the best he could) by driving me around the eastside until 4pm--when I had a surprise party with my family! It was at our friend's house (The Tuppers). It was my favorite part of the whole weekend--seeing everyone. It actually surprised me when I saw them all there.

I received some awesome gifts from many people--including some movie gift certificates from work--but most of all a memorable experience. I appreciate Shaun for planning everything with so much care and love. He's a sweet husband with a drive to enjoy life with me. (Sigh.)

Anyway, that was my weekend. Now, we're down to last minute packing since we're moving this week. Wish us luck! (We'll be okay.)

MOVING SOON, Yah-hoo!

On July 26th we are moving our things out of our first apartment together. We are so excited! We are done with loud neighbors who yell curse smoke outside our window and park too close. We are leaving the aprtment life and moving into a family in our ward's (a.k.a. church) house. It's a newly built beautiful home. It even has a built in vacum and dust pan in the wall! Cool huh?! It's a two huge bedroom home with Pergo floors. It will be a more social living situation also. We are welcome to hang out with the family upstairs and vica-vesa. Local friends should stop by when we move in to check it out.

So, I've been packing up the house. I don't know why Shaun doesn't love packing as much as me? I started July 1st by packing up the books in our "study." Shaun's lucky to have me and I'm lucky to have him--becuase not only is he grateful, but he's good at carrying the boxes I pack up and putting them in a pile in the living room.

Oh, also in Weldon news, I was released as ward activities chairman. I'm now a relief society teacher. (I teach a lesson once a month on Sunday to the women over 18.) I'm grateful for my new calling. Although, I was sad to be released before the BIG ward camp-out....it is a lot less pressure to make things fun for everyone.

Shaun and I are trying to sell the jeep still--with no luck. The clutch is leaking somewhere and making it imposible to drive. Although on the upside of car sales, we think we FINALLY have someone to buy the 1986 Nissan 300ZX that we got from my dad. It has not run more than a month and a half since we took it off my dad's hands around December 2006.

Other than this---there's probably more, but not anything dreadfully exciting. Call if you'd like to double check!

Have a good weekend ya'll!

Ode to Daddio

This is my dad, James, and his wife, Yuko, on Father's Day. You can't tell in the picture, but he's holding a fishing rod...a new one!

I love my dad very much. He is made up of opposites---for example, he is funny and serious, he is quiet and talkative, he is tall and short, he is suspicious and he is trusting. I appreciate the influence for good and for bad that he's had on me. He helps me to realize the good and the bad in myself...yet continues to love me (the part he's least opposite about is loving me).

I am happy when he relazes and enjoys what life has already given him and participates in the new things life is offering. He's brave in that way.